~ from email ~

Ordinary precautions do not indicate a lack of faith. For example, it would not indicate a lack of faith to lock the door when you leave home. In fact, the best reason to think about home security comes from faith in God’s word, because the Bible teaches us about human depravity, and what acts of greed, cruelty, and violence that men are capable of doing. If you believe what the Bible says, you will take measures to protect yourself. To neglect home security would not be a sign of faith, but it would be a case of testing God. Faith believes not only what the Bible teaches about divine protection, but it believes all of the Bible, including what it says about the dangers of living in this sinful world.

For this reason, it is not only acceptable for Christians to buy insurance, but it is often irresponsible to do without it. When you purchase insurance, you are taking advantage of an ordinary measure that is there to care for yourself and your family if something naturally damaging happens. As long as you are acting on the basis of what the Bible teaches and not what the world says, or out of fear or greed, then it does not contradict faith.

However, your question is whether a Christian should purchase insurance when participating in activities that involve risks and dangers, such as skiing. While Christians should find it acceptable to purchase insurance in general, the real issue is whether they should participate in these activities. We cannot assume that something is acceptable just because it is part of the culture. Skiing is nothing more than plummeting down a mountain on two sticks at high velocity for mere entertainment. It is one thing to risk martyrdom for the gospel, but a very different matter to risk injury or death for recreation. The Christian must consider whether this is a worthy use of his life, or whether his life is worthy of a better use.

The point is not that a Christian must refrain from skiing, but that it involves risks that a Christian should not accept without justification. It is a foolish evasion to answer that every activity involves some risks, since skiing involves a deliberate effort to remove oneself from his regular circumstances in order to embrace greater risks of injury or death, and usually for the rather lame purpose of amusement. The Christian should take measures to preserve himself for the service of God. His life is not his own, and he should have good reasons for accepting risks.

Consider a more obvious example. It is often regarded as noble and heroic to climb Mount Everest, but in fact it represents the height of arrogance and irresponsibility toward God and family. One documentary showed a climber who left his pregnant wife at home. As he was trapped and about to die, he managed to call his wife, who had just given birth, and they barely had time to name the baby while he was expiring on Mount Everest.

He was a monster – he left his wife behind and went to climb some mountain just so he could prove something. One day the child would ask, “Why did father leave us?” If the woman would be honest, she would answer, “Your father left to climb a mountain because he was a piece of trash who wanted to feel like a big man. He was a stupid and selfish man, knowing that he might die and leave us behind. He wanted a sense of achievement for accomplishing nothing useful more than he wanted to be a husband to me and a father to you. We are better off without him.” Money could not replace a husband and a father, but in this case some insurance money was probably more useful than to have such a man around.

People climb Mount Everest for all the wrong reasons. How many people are on Mount Everest waiting to hear about Jesus Christ? And how many Christians are there waiting for someone to help them build a church? No, they climb for foolish reasons like self-satisfaction, self-realization (whatever that means), or to demonstrate the triumph of the human spirit over a seemingly impossible challenge. You triumph over a mountain by blowing it up, not by climbing it and dying on it.

When I met my wife many years ago, I became more conscious about the unnecessary risks that I was taking. Since then I have altered some of my habits to better maintain my health for her sake, so that I would be able to serve her better and longer in this life. Nevertheless, there is an important point that qualifies all that I have said – that is, I do not trust in my own carefulness, as if it can prevent all calamities. Rather, I acknowledge my responsibility to God and to my family by exercising ordinary precautions and avoiding unnecessary risks, and then I trust in God’s providence to perform all that he wills. There is no reason to be reckless even if you are single or childless, since your life belongs to God, but he shows us more grace, and sends other people into our lives to awaken our love and duty.